Method of making a thermal unit



May 15, 1962 c. B. sPASE METHOD oF MAKING A THERMAL UNIT United StatesPatent() 3,034,207 METHQD F MAKENG A TIERE/IAL UNIT Charles B. Spase,Syracuse, NSY., assignor to Lipe-Rollway Corporation, Syracuse, NX., .acorporation of 4 Claims. (Cl. 29-405) This application is a division ofS.N. 734,944, filed May 13, 1958, now Patent No. 2,924,083, grantedFebruary 9, 1960.

The present invention relates to a method of ymaking a thermallyexpansible unit that excludes air and other foreign matter from thespace occupied by the thermally expansible material in the thermallyresponsive unit.

Prior art processes of making thermally expansive units have required ingeneral expensive molds thus making the units unduly costly, andnecessitating large investments for equipment.

Further, known methods have not invariably provided for the exclusion offoreign matter from the expansible material chamber, with consequentadverse effect on the performance of the unit.

It is an object of the present invention provide a process for making athermally expansible device that is relatively simple.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a processfor making a thermally expansible device that does not require themanufacture of molds or the use of equipment that is capable of exertinghigh pressures.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method ofmaking a thermally expansible device that will positively exclude theintroduction of air or other foreign matter into thc chamber thatcontains the thern vmally expansible material during the manufacture ofthe device.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant inventionwill be apparent from the following description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a longitudinal cross-sectional View of a thermally responsivedevice made in accordance with the process of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a rst step in theprocess of making the device of FIG. l.

FIGS. 3, 4- and 5 illustrate successive steps in the manufacture of thedevice of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters are usedto designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,there is shown in FIG. l a thermal unit S2 which consists of an outercapsule member 60 that is cup-shaped and has end wall 6l and anopen-ended skirt 62 extending therefrom. Telescopically received withinthe skirt 62 of the capsule member 60 is a plug member 63 having a skirt64, the skirt 64 having a plurality of circumferentially extendinggrooves 65 on the exterior periphery thereof. Plug member 63, which isalso cup-shaped, has an end wall 66 having a threaded hole 67 therein,and a plug 68 in said hole 67.

The end wall 66 of plug member 63, the end wall 61 of capsule 60, andthe interior of the skirt 64 of plug member 63 form a chamber 69 inwhich there is positioned the thermally expansible material 70. Thismaterial is preferably solid at ordinary temperatures, or roomtemperatures but becomes liquid at approximately 300 F., and uponfurther heating of the material 70 above 360 F., the material 79 willexpand. Such materials are material that is in the solid state atordinary room temrice Y i Patented May 15, 1962 well known in the art,and the specilicv material used forms no part of the present invention.

The method of manufacture is as follows: Referring to FIG. 2, there maybe seen a pair of cup-like members 60 Aand the cup-like member 63Ihaving the grooves 65 on the periphery of the skirt 64 thereof. Member63 has an end wall 66 that is oppositely disposed to an end Wall 61ofthe member 60. The skirt 64 of member 63 is telescoped within and isrelatively shorter than the skirt 62 of the member y60. The end wall 66has a threaded hole `67 therein. As may be seen, a relatively largechamber 69' is formed between the end walls and the skirts of themembers 60' and 63.

Having 'thus assembled the above described parts, the material 70 ispoured into the chamber 69 through the hole 67, this operation takingplace with both the cupshaped member 60. and the cup-shaped member 63and the material 7l) at approximately 70 F. It will be recalled that at`this temperature the material 70 is a solid, preferably a crystalgranulate, the thus iilled device being shown in FIG. 3.

The parts as thus assembled, and with the chamber 69 lilled withpthematerial 70, are then heated by any convenient means, a burner `71 beingshown for this purpose in FIG. 4. This serves'to liquefy the material 70as shown in FIG. 4. Note that the hole 67 is -uppermost during thisheating operation. Y

Thereafter, ,the cup-shaped member 63 is telescoped within the skirt 62-oflthev cup-shaped member 60 until the skirt 64 thereof bottoms on theend wall 61 lof the cup-shaped member 60'; this action extrudestheliquid material 70 upwardly through the hole 67 in the end wall V66 ofcup-shaped member 63.

While at ,the elevated temperature, a ilush screw or plug '68 is placedin the hole 67, and it may thus be seen that the unit has been sealedwithout any air in the unit and without any foreign material gettinginto the chamber that is occupied by the material 70; the unit is thencooled.

The members 60 and 63 are then cut along the plane 72 shown in FIG. 5,this of course removing that part of the skirt 62 of cup-shaped member60 that extends beyond the end wall 66 of the member 63". This cuttingaction also places a champered edge on the member 63 so that it is infact now the member 63 of the completed unit.

It will be understood that the cup-shaped members are cylindrical, andpreferably that they are of a circular cylindrical form, although othershapes are possible.

There has also been provided a simple and efficient method ofmanufacturing a thermal unit that can be accomplished with a minimum ofequipment and which method requires no forms nor high capacity presses.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made without departing from the spirit of the Iinvention andtherefore the invention is not llimited to what is shown in the drawingsand described in the specification but only as indicated in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of making a thermally expansible device comprisingtelescopically assembling in relative reciprocable, sealed relation apair of cup-like members, each having an end wall and a skirt intelescopic relationship with theV skirt of the inner member beingshorter than the skirt of the outer member and with said end wallsoppositely disposed, whereby to form a chamber between v7said end wallsand the skirts of said members, introducing through a hole in the endwall of said inner member and into said chamber at ordinary roomtemperature a pertures and liquefies into an expansible liquid atelevated Y temperatures, heatingy said assembled parts with said holeuppermost to at least the liquefaction temperature of said material,further telescoping said members until the skirt of the inner memberbottoms on the end wall of the outer member andV thereby extrudingliquid material upf Wardly through said hole, plugging said hole,cooling lsaidV ing that part of the skirt of Vthe outer member that eX-tendsbeyond the end wall of the inner member. f 2. The method of 'makingaV thermallyv expansible del.vice comprising .telescopicaily assemblingin relative Vrev assembly to ordinary room temperature, and thenremovciprocable, sealed-3relation a pair of fcup-like members,

each having an end wall and a skirtinV telescopic relationl ship'withthe skirt of the innermember being'shorter'than Ythe'skirt` ofthefouterfm'emher and with said end walls vfurther telescoping saidmembers Auntil the skirt of the inner member bottoms on the end wall ofthe outer member andl thereby extruding liquid material upwardly through`said orifice, closing said orice, cooling said assembly to ordinaryroom temperature, and then removing that part ofthe skirt of the'outermember that extends beyond theend wall 'of the inner member.

3. The method orf'making a thermally expansible devvice comprisingtelescopically. assembling in relative reeiprocable, sealed relation apair of cup-like members, eachnhaving an end wall and a skirt intelescopic relationfship with the skirt of the, 'inner member beingshorter `than the skirt of the outer member and with said end wallsoppositely disposed, whereby to form a chamber between said end Wallsand the skirts of said members, introducing through an orificein one ofsaid members and into said chamber at ordinary room temperature amaterial that is in the solid state at ordinary room temperatures andliquees into an expansible liquid at elevated temperatures, heating saidassembled parts to at least the liquefaction temperature of saidmaterial, further telescop- V ing said members until the skirt of theinner member bottoms on the end wall of the outer member and therebyvextruding liquid material through said oriiice,` closing said oriice,cooling said assembly to ordinary room temperature, and then removingthat lpart of the skirt of the vouter member Vthat extends Vbeyond Vtheend wall of the innermember. 1 Y Y Y .4; The'method ofv making athermally expansible de- Vice comprising telescopically assembling inrelative recip- Vrocable, sealed relation a pair orfvcup-like members,each having an end wall and a skirt inrtelescopic relationship with theskirt of the inner member being shorter than the skirt of the outermember and With said end walls oppositely disposed, whereby. to form achamber between said end Iwalls and the skirts of said members,introducing through an orifice in one of said members and into saidchamber at ordinary room temperature a material that is 1 l in theYsolid state at ordinary room temperatures and liqueies into anexpansible liquid at elevated temperatures, heating said assembled partsto at least the liquefaction temperature of said material, furtherltelescoping said members untilrthe yskirt of the inner member bottoms onthe end wall of the outer member and thereby extruding liquid'materialthrough said orice, closing said orifice,

and cooling said assembly to ordinary room temperature.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,391,878 Chaney a f Sept. 27, 1921 2,405,201 Franck Aug. 6, 19462,507,466 De Craene' May 9, 1950 2,622,443 Wappner Dec. 273, 1952 i2,806,376 Wood Sept. 17, 1957

